Planned Romance
by mostlypsychotic
Summary: Ten years ago, the Hitachiin and Asara families created a pact for their children. Now, the arrival of Satomi and Miyomi shakes up the routines of the Host Club, with abundant crushes, an arranged marriage and a stray cat among it all. Kaoru/OC/Mori.
1. Chapter 1

_Author's Note: Ahh, I know. OC's show up a lot in the Ouran fandom. Still, I'll try to pull it off…so I hope you like it. _

_Ten years before…_

"Mr. Hitachiin, so nice to meet you." Mr. Asara silently admired the professional air of the entire Hitachiin family, including the twin sons.

"And the same to you. This is my wife, and my two sons," Mr. Hitachiin replied, gesturing to each member of his family as he spoke. The twins watched the unfamiliar couple before them with identical narrowed eyes.

"Ah, yes. My daughters are in the next room." Mrs. Asara took this as a cue to turn to the nearby door.

"Satomi! Miyomi! Come say hello," she called. The door opened, and a small girl peered curiously out at the guests.

"Oh…hi," she said softly, pushing the door open further. A second girl was hiding being the first, as if she was afraid of these new people.

"How cute!" Mrs. Hitachiin said, beaming. "Hikaru, Kaoru, be polite." The boys reluctantly stepped forward to greet the timid strangers, who shook their hands unenthusiastically.

"Well," Mr. Asara said, as if to get rid of the awkward moment, there are tables set up in the yard. Shall we go?"

While the adults sat at a table and talked over their drinks, the children had formed a game in the yard.

"Hikaru, no fair!" Kaoru whined as he struggled to get out of his brother's grasp. "You're not playing the game right!"

"No, that's not a rule. He can do that," Satomi said, watching the boys wrestle. Meanwhile, the Hitachiin parents were explaining their terms.

"So, that's our proposal. What do you think?" Mr. Hitachiin finished. Mr. Asara looked over at his daughters.

"They aren't even ten yet. They don't understand the concept of romance now. Arranging a marriage at this time would be ridiculous," he said.

"They don't have to know now. We can tell them when they graduate from high school, and they'll choose a wedding date. Is that reasonable?" The two couples looked at each other in silence for a moment.

"I don't see a problem," Mrs. Asara said. "We'll have to transfer our daughters, though. We don't live particularly close to your home, after all. At some point, they'll need to interact, and the only way I see that happening is through school. But that will hardly be an issue." The Hitachiin parents smiled widely.

"So it's decided," Mr. Hitachiin said pleasantly. "We'll keep in touch."

_And now…_

The door to Music Room 3 opened, revealing a strange sight to Miyomi Asara. In front of her, high school girls were seated on couches, giggling and fawning over seven attractive boys. Miyomi stared, wondering what it was that she had walked into. Before she could process it, though, a tall, blond boy practically materialized at her side.

"Why, good afternoon! How did such a beautiful middle school student end up so lost?" he asked. Miyomi blushed and stepped back.

"Ah…I…I was j-just looking for m-my sister, Satomi…b-but she's not here, so I-"

"Satomi?" the blond asked. "You mean you're one of the new girls?"

"How'd you know?" Miyomi couldn't picture her older sister in a place like this.

"Why, Kyoya does background checks on all new students! Of course we'd know who you are!" The blond pointed over at a dark-haired boy with glasses, who barely looked up from his laptop as he began to speak.

"Yes, you're Miyomi Asara, a third-year at Ouran Academy's junior high school. Your sister, Satomi Asara, is a first-year here in the high school. Your family recently purchased a mansion and transferred here from southern Japan. Am I correct?" Miyomi nodded quickly.

"Yeah…well, I should probably go look for-"

"But you just got here!" the blond retorted, wrapping his arms around Miyomi's shoulders. "We never get middle school students these days, and meeting one as cute as you is an honor!"

"Tamaki, you're scaring her," a feminine-looking boy said, rising from one of the couches. He pulled Miyomi free of the blond's grasp, and smiled down at her.

"Haruhi! I was just giving her a warm welcome!" Tamaki complained.

"I'm sorry," Haruhi said, ignoring Tamaki's childish whining. "He can be a little obnoxious. If you'd like to go, you can." At the word _obnoxious_, Tamaki had gotten an expression that made him look like he had been stabbed, and fell back into a corner. Miyomi relaxed a little. This boy seemed a lot more sane. A pair of redheaded boys had appeared on the scene, looking down at Tamaki. Miyomi paused on her way out the door. These twins looked familiar, for some reason. She couldn't put her finger on it, but she felt like she had seen them before. She turned, ready to ask Haruhi who they were, but he had already vanished.


	2. Chapter 2

Somewhere down the hall from the music room, Miyomi remembered where she was supposed to meet her sister and had promptly taken off down two flights of stairs, nearly crashed into a group of high schoolers, and hurt her ankle with the tight shoes she was expected to wear. When she arrived at the car, she leaned against the door for a moment, panting. The driver's door opened and the Asaras' maid, Akiko, stepped out.

"Good afternoon, miss. Are you all right? You look like you were running," she observed. Miyomi nodded, trying to catch her breath.

"I'm fine. Sorry to keep you waiting," she coughed, trying to reassure Akiko with a grin. Akiko returned her smile nervously, and then opened the door on her side before returning to the steering wheel. Miyomi clambered into the backseat and fell back with a sigh.

"There you are! What took you so long?" Satomi asked, poking her little sister's cheek.

"Looking for you, moron. But I got lost," Miyomi admitted. "You'll never guess what I found, though." Satomi raised an eyebrow.

"Really. What was this amazing discovery?"

"Well…" Miyomi wasn't really sure how to explain the group she had stumbled across. "There were seven guys…and about fifty girls all around them in little groups…"

"You mean, like a host club?" Satomi interrupted. Miyomi shrugged.

"I guess so."

"That is so weird. Ouran has a host club, huh?"

"It's only in the high school. My part of the school's normal," Miyomi joked. Satomi smiled widely.

"Well, this should be interesting. Where is it?"

"Huh?! Satomi, I never thought you'd be interested in that kind of thing…" Satomi laughed and patted her sister's arm.

"Just call it curiosity. Now, tell me where this host club is."

The next afternoon, Satomi ascended the carpeted stairs to the music room on the third floor. Sure enough, a group of girls had just disappeared inside, faces flushed and excited. Satomi grabbed the door just as it was about to close, and peered inside. The scene was exactly as Miyomi had described- all over the place, girls were seated on couches with wide smiles, being catered to by a few guys.

_Well, this is definitely a new one_, Satomi thought, pushing her bangs out of her eyes as she looked closer. There was a little kid in a high school uniform clambering up a taller, darker guy in one corner, a boy with glasses and a laptop in another, and a dramatic-looking blond in the center of the room. Bracing herself for whatever would happen, Satomi pushed open the door and walked in. The blond immediately looked her way and sprang across the room.

"I _knew _you'd be here!" he said cheerfully. "Kyoya told us all about you! The new girl, from south Japan! We met your little sister the other day!"

"Erm…yeah, I know. She told me about this place…but what is it?" Satomi asked, looking around the room. Surprisingly enough, only a few girls had reacted to the blond's outburst, and most were still enjoying the company.

"You've found Ouran Academy's prestigious host club, my darling. Welcome!" he replied, pulling a rose literally out of nowhere and handing it to her. Satomi stared, wondering what exactly would happen to her here.

"Boss, I don't think she understands," a redheaded boy said, hopping up from the couch.

"Yeah," an identical boy added, pointing at Satomi's bemused face. "I mean, look at her. She looks like she's just walked into a movie set." When the twins' eyes met those of the new girl, they immediately stopped talking. The same realization hit Satomi as well, and her eyes widened.

"You're…" she whispered, stepping back. She knew these people, but why was it so awkward to see them again? She had only met them once before, but…

"Um…I've gotta go!" she said, turning on her heels and running through the door. Tamaki sighed and turned to the twins.

"What's with these Asara girls anyway?" he complained. "Don't they understand the concept? There's nothing to be afraid of!"

For once, the twins didn't chime in with their own remark. They knew that girl, but from where? It hadn't been recent, that much they knew.

"Maybe they're just shy!" Honey offered. "I bet _I _could go cheer that girl up!" Tamaki shrugged.

"Maybe. But I wish I knew," he said. Honey hopped off of Mori's back and went over to the door, peeking out curiously to see if Satomi had decided to come back.

"I'll go, if you want," Mori said softly from behind Tamaki. The gleam returned to Tamaki's eyes, and he grinned widely.

"Would you?! That'd be great!" Mori shrugged in response and headed out the door.

Mori wandered down the hall almost aimlessly, wondering where the shy new girl had run off to. He found his answer when he heard a groan from down the stairs, and discovered her laying on the floor.

"Did you fall?" he asked, grabbing Satomi's arm and pulling her up to face him. She nodded, blushing.

"I'm okay, though. I'm sorry for running, but it's a long story," she mumbled. Mori nodded. "Did they tell you to come after me?"

"Kind of."

"I see." Satomi frowned. What was with this guy? He was so quiet.

"How'd you know them?" he asked.

"The redheaded twins?"

"Yeah."

Satomi paused. She wasn't even sure of how she knew them herself, though she knew a little bit.

"Well…a long time ago, my parents and theirs had this big meeting, and my sister and I met them there. I haven't seen them since, so I don't know what made me so nervous…but I feel like there's something going on between us, just because of that meeting. I don't know, though." Mori nodded again.

"Makes sense."

"I guess so. Sorry again for running away from you guys. Maybe I'll come back again," she said.

"Sounds good. See you later, Satomi." As Mori walked away, Satomi grinned to herself. He seemed nice enough, even if he didn't talk much and Satomi didn't know his name.

_Wait…what was his name?_


	3. Chapter 3

Haruhi walked into the main dining hall, her bento box under her arm. She glanced around, looking for an empty seat among all the crowds of chattering students.

"Um…excuse me," someone behind her said, placing a hand on her shoulder. Haruhi turned to see the short-haired new girl from the day before, who was clutching a lunch tray in her other hand and blushing slightly. "I'm sorry. You're Haruhi, right? At least, that's what Miyomi says." When Haruhi nodded, she smiled a little. "I guess I never got to introduce myself. My name's Satomi."

"Nice to meet you. Is everything all right?" Haruhi asked.

"Well…I was kind of wondering…as you know, I'm new here, so I don't really know much about the school, or the people…would you mind eating lunch with me this afternoon?" The last part of her question came out almost as one word, and it took a moment for Haruhi to register.

"Oh. Well, okay. Does it matter where we go?"

"Somewhere quieter than here would be nice," Satomi admitted. Haruhi shrugged, trying to hide her quick thinking. _There isn't a quiet place in this entire damn school! Where are we supposed to go? _

"I guess we could go outside, if that's okay with you," she offered at last.

Just moments later, the two had found a deserted fountain and taken a seat on the bench beside it. They spent a few minutes passing awkward glances from the water to each other and eating in silence, before Haruhi spoke.

"You know, I feel a little bad for you. You haven't even been here for a week yet and you got a taste of the Host Club so quickly. I'm sorry."

"There's no need to apologize!" Satomi said with a light laugh. "I've met other students, and they seem sane enough, if not a little…um, well-adjusted to their lifestyle. And you seem sane too, Haruhi." It occurred to Satomi that this would be the perfect opportunity to get the name she wanted. All she had to do was a little investigating. "But I'm still interested in your Host Club, you know. They seem like interesting people," she continued slyly.

"You could say that," Haruhi said, suppressing a round of laughter. _If 'interesting' was the biggest understatement on the face of the earth. _"They're definitely something, aren't they?"

"Could you tell me about them? I mean…who are they, exactly?" Satomi asked hopefully. This time, Haruhi wanted to suppress a smirk. Could the girl have a crush already? But instead of teasing, she decided on playing along with Satomi's innocent façade.

"Sure. Well…who should I start with?" Haruhi pondered for a moment. "Well, there's Tamaki. He's the blond one that you met. He's nice enough, though he can be a moron, and a drama queen…and sometimes he just can't take a hint about when he should just shut up…" Haruhi grumbled the last part, the very thought making her angry. "But he's really not that bad. He can be very caring when he wants to be," she added. "Then there's Kyoya. He was the one with the glasses and the computer. I don't know too much about him, honestly, but he seems like a shady character to me. He knows basically everything there is to know about everyone in the school."

"Is that why he knew Miyomi and I the moment we walked in?" Satomi asked, remembering the calm, almost intimidating eyes behind Kyoya's glasses.

"That's right," Haruhi said. "He knows your family, where you come from, your social status…basically, if it can be found out, Kyoya will find it out."

"That's…creepy."

"Isn't it? Now, next is Honey. You know the one who looks like a little kid? He's actually older than both of us. He seems like he's all sugar, and he really does love cake…but he's pretty tough. And he's really loyal to the others," Haruhi said, thinking about the way Honey would attack anyone who posed a threat to them. "The really tall guy who's always with Honey is his cousin, Mori. He doesn't talk very much, but he's not that bad."

_That's it! _Satomi resisted shouting. Instead, she nodded and let Haruhi continue.

"And lastly, there's the twins-"

"Hikaru and Kaoru?"

Haruhi blinked. "How'd you know?" Satomi shrugged, the blush returning to her face.

"Miyomi and I met them when we were little. We don't really know each other, though. That one meeting is really all there is to it. Besides, it's not like they know any more about us than we do about them, so…" She trailed off, and Haruhi noticed a hint of sadness on her face before she looked up again. "But thank you for telling me about them. Maybe I'll go back sometime. I'll make sure to request you," she teased. Haruhi rolled her eyes and stood up, placing her leftovers in her bento box.

"You do that. Do you need help getting back?" she asked, holding out her hand to help Satomi stand.

"No, I can get back. Thank you." Before Haruhi could turn away, Satomi grabbed her arm. "Haruhi."

"Yeah?"

"I forgot to ask…why are you wearing a boy's uniform?"


	4. Chapter 4

_Author's Note: I was reading over the reviews, and I noticed that somebody asked if Satomi and Miyomi were twins or not. So, in response to that, Satomi is a year older than Miyomi. Both go to Ouran, but Miyomi is in the secondary school and Satomi is in the high school. Sorry 'bout that. XD Anyways, Chapter 4, though it's kind of short._

_What an interesting family…_

The only light in Kyoya's bedroom came from the dim screen of his laptop. A mix of sleeplessness and boredom had him researching the new arrivals further, but he had seen most of the results before. A rich family, though they would have to be to get into Ouran, and a connection with multiple families from the region. They also had a maid by the name of Akiko Tanaka living with them, and the two girls had been enrolled in four different schools through the years. Kyoya typed a few more tidbits of information down before clicking into the next document.

"Hmm…" he murmured aloud, scrolling down further. "Hitachiin…?"

Of all the last names to show up…what was this? As he read further, a devious smile formed on Kyoya's face.

_Now this is new!_

His fingers returned to the keyboard quickly, making a few more notes on this new discovery. As he closed his laptop for the night, his grin remained. The information would be useful, that was for sure. It could make for some good blackmail material, anyway…

"Hikaru…"

"Whaa?"

Hikaru rubbed his eyes, hiding his irritation at the timing. The moment he was about to doze off, he ended up shocked awake again. A glance over at his brother's half-open eyes softened him slightly, but a glance at the clock extinguished the feeling. Kaoru yawned slightly before beginning to speak.

"Who are those girls?" Hikaru rolled his eyes.

"How should I know? Kyoya told you their names, remember?"

"I mean…don't we know them?" Kaoru asked. He knew the answer already, but he wanted to know if Hikaru shared the same thoughts. The two of them had met both girls before, but he couldn't remember how. However, Hikaru just sighed and rolled back onto his back.

"Maybe. Look, just forget about it. If it matters, we'll hear about it. If it matters, in fact, we _should've _heard about it by now. Can't you just go to sleep?" Without waiting for an answer, he pulled the blankets back up to his neck and let his eyes drift closed.

Kaoru continued to stare at the ceiling.

_Who exactly are Satomi and Miyomi, though? _he wondered.

When Mr. Hitachiin opened his email account that night, he smirked at the screen. He knew it would only be a matter of time before the Asara father attempted contact, and there it was. Curious enough, he opened the newest mail from his colleague.

_Mr. Hitachiin,_

_As you may know, my family has returned to your area. My two daughters are enrolled at the same school as your sons, and they may or may not have met already. Satomi is still unaware of the arrangements as far as I know, and I would like to take this opportunity to ask you about them myself. If you would still like to go through with these plans, please let me know. A list of other possible suitors for my daughter is already compiled, and I will not refrain from finding a more suitable man if I find it necessary. _

_Sincerely,_

_The Asara Household._

Mr. Hitachiin paused, his fingers on the keyboard. Was he serious? Already, he had more ideas for marrying off his kids? What a hasty man! Quivering with a type of pride-filled anger, he began his reply.

_Mr. Asara,_

_Thank you for contacting us, and welcome back. My sons are both unaware of this deal as well, and I would prefer that it stayed that way until they are both out of high school. In no way am I suggesting that the deal be cut off, but both Kaoru and your daughter are very young, and I don't see this as a proper time for the two of them to start a family. I hope, if we overlook this fact, this plan may work out for each of us._

_Best regards,_

_The Hitachiin Household._


	5. Chapter 5

"Satomi, I'm leaving without you if you don't hurry up," Miyomi called from the door. Satomi could already hear the rumble of the car engine, as well as Akiko calling for Miyomi to hurry. Meanwhile, Satomi was halfway under her bed, searching for a notebook and cursing it under her breath.

"Hang on a second!" she said loudly, noticing a corner of the notebook in the farthest corner of the bed. She crawled back out, flung herself over and attempted to grasp it.

"Satomi!"

"I said _wait_!" Satomi shouted back, her fingers finally touching the spine of the notebook. She pulled it up with a triumphant cry, and straightened out her dress as she stood back up. However, a glance out the window revealed that Miyomi and Akiko had given up, and that the car was now headed through the gates. "Dammit!" She grabbed her bag and hurried out the door to find herself alone in the driveway. "Aw…" she murmured, reaching down for her shoes and shoving them in her bag along with the notebook. If she had to walk, it wouldn't help to wear such uncomfortable shoes.

Satomi lost track of time as she walked down the sidewalk, hopefully in the direction of Ouran. She knew she'd have to come up with an excuse for why she was late, as she'd undoubtedly be.

_Traffic? Recovering from an illness? Alien abduction? _Ideas ran through her head, becoming more insane as they went on. _Ah, screw it. I don't even know if they'll-_

_Mew._

Satomi's inner ramblings came to an abrupt halt at the sound.

_Mew._

She looked over at a garden she had almost passed, to see a cat watching her with serious yellow eyes.

"Mew," she replied before walking on. The cat had stood up and was skulking behind her, mewing continuously. Satomi turned back to it, crouching this time and moving forward. "What do you want?" she asked, holding out her hand to let the cat sniff it before stroking its back. "I'm gonna be late for school, you know." The cat mewed again, this time clambering up onto her bag. "Hey," Satomi said, stifling laughter at this odd animal. "Do you want to come with me?"

_Mew. _

"Fine. But you can't come to class," she said, beginning to walk again. The cat remained latched onto her bag by the claws, looking up curiously at the human who had apparently become its owner.

Satomi showed up in her math class half an hour late that morning, blushing and mumbling an apology as she headed for her seat. The teacher, who had been standing by her desk, eyed her with a steely gaze before continuing with the lesson. Kaoru noticed that the girl who had taken a seat beside him was now sitting in an awkward stance, her bag opened slightly and between her ankles. Was it worth asking this new girl what had happened? Did it bother him _that _much?

"You're really late," he whispered hesitantly. Satomi glanced up and nodded slowly.

"Yeah…my sister didn't feel like waiting for me, so I walked."

"You _walked_ all the way here?"

"Yep. It's not that bad. In fact, the weather's pretty nice, so I can't complain, you know?" Satomi grinned nervously and reached into her bag, keeping her hand there for a moment before retracting it and placing it back on her notebook. Kaoru glanced down at the bag again, wondering what exactly she had hidden in there that caused her to be so restless.

_Mew._

Kaoru blinked, and Satomi shoved her hand in the bag again. This time her face had started to redden, and she glanced around anxiously before becoming upright again. She looked over at Kaoru and attempted a smile, unwittingly giving him the opportunity to see a pair of cat ears poke out of the bag.

"A…cat?" he asked quietly. Satomi cringed and nodded, before lifting a finger to her lips.

_Meeeew. _The cat's meowing was becoming more obvious. A boy behind the two was now looking over Satomi's shoulder, trying to get a glimpse of whatever was making the noise.

"Shhh…" Satomi whispered, but all that did was make the cat more agitated. It squirmed free of the bag and slipped around its owner's legs, purring comfortably. Unfortunately, that was enough for the teacher to notice.

"What's that?" Satomi looked up, a resigned look in her eyes.

"A…robot?"

"I thought that woman was gonna blow up," Kaoru said with a laugh, describing the look on his teacher's face as he retold the story to his brother. "And poor Satomi was just sitting there, holding it on her lap and trying not to laugh. It was great!"

"Satomi's the new kid, right?" Hikaru replied. "Tall, quiet, short-haired girl?" Kaoru nodded, grinning.

"She's pretty cool. I mean, anyone who can bring a cat into school in her bag's gotta be, right? I kinda wish I knew what happened to the cat, though. The teacher made Satomi take it out into the hall." Hikaru glanced over his brother's shoulder.

"Looks like it's fine," he said. Kaoru looked over where Hikaru was pointing to see the girl in question headed for her car, the cat seated on her shoulder.


	6. Chapter 6

_Okay. I can do this. _

Satomi stood rigidly in front of the music room, looking at the door. She had spent the past fifteen minutes there, 'holding the door' for whoever walked in during that time. However, five groups of girls and a few weird glances were starting to make her look sketchy, and she figured she better act soon. Bracing herself for the world behind the door, she shoved the door so violently that a witness may have thought she had murderous intents for one of the hosts. However, her thought process was thrown off when she came face to face with what seemed to be a beach.

_What the hell?! _she wondered, rubbing her eyes. Sure enough, when she looked up again, there was still sand everywhere. The girls were all lounging under beach umbrellas, drinking what seemed to be smoothies, or playing some sort of game out on the sand.

"Uh…what's going on?" Satomi asked aloud to no one in particular. As if on cue, Tamaki materialized at her side in a pair of swim trunks.

"Welcome back!" he said cheerfully, causing Satomi to jump. Realizing who it was, she sighed.

"You have got to stop doing that. You'll give me a heart attack," she grumbled. "What's going on here?" Tamaki snickered and walked her forward across the 'beach.'

"You aren't very familiar with the whole concept of a host club, are you? Not ours, anyway. We like doing themes, you see. It makes the experience that much better, wouldn't you say?" When Satomi nodded, Tamaki spun her around to face the rest of the beach. "Now, who did you come here for? What's your type? Who do you want to spend time with-"

"Mori, please."

Tamaki looked back down, registering surprise at the firmness of Satomi's voice.

_You've been thinking about this, haven't you? That's cute. _

His smile returning, he grabbed her by the arm again and led her over to the beach towel where Mori and Honey sat, surrounded by a decent-sized group of girls. As the two approached, Mori glanced up to find himself face to face with the new girl from a few days ago.

"Mori, Honey, here's our newest princess. I'm sure you'll treat her well," Tamaki said with a smile, letting go of Satomi at last and waving at the rest of the group before walking back through the sand.

"Oh! I know you!" Honey chirped, grinning at Satomi. "Welcome! We have snacks here too, if you want anything!" Without waiting for an answer, he shoved a piece of cake and a glass of iced tea in the girl's hand before taking another piece for himself. "Plenty to go around!"

"Thanks…" Satomi murmured, looking from the food to the rest of the group.

_This is so confusing…_

"You get used to it." Satomi looked up to find Mori returning her gaze. "If you come here a lot, anyway." Satomi flushed slightly, but smiled up at him anyway.

"Oh…well, thank you."

On a beach towel farther away, the twins were glancing over at the pair every minute or so. Of all the people for the new girl to attach herself to, they hadn't expected it to be Mori. He didn't seem like her type, at first.

"What a turn of events," Kyoya said from behind them. The twins turned in unison to face him, eyes narrowing.

"What do you mean?" Hikaru asked.

"At first, _she _seemed like the one afraid of you guys, but something tells me that seeing her over there makes you intimidated."

"You've got the wrong idea."

"Yeah," Kaoru chimed in. "Doesn't matter to us what she does and who she does it with. That's the point of the host club." Kyoya grinned slyly, his glasses gleaming under the bright lights that were forming an artificial sun.

"Well, it _will _matter, don't you worry," he said coolly, rising to his feet. The twins frowned, and Kaoru opened his mouth to retort. However, before the words could escape, the all-too-familiar rumbling from underground began.

"How exciting! A new girl!" Renge cheered as her platform rose from the ground beside Satomi and Mori. Satomi sat in place, not sure whether to scream or just to give up and walk out. "I'm Renge, the club's manger! Are you that girl my Kyoya was looking up?"

"I…guess so," Satomi replied, shooting a curious look over her shoulder at Kyoya, who merely shrugged. "I'm Satomi."

"Great! Maybe I can use you to add a bit of spice to the host club! Kyoya, have you ever thought of having a female host? I'm sure it'd be interesting."

"No, and I don't plan to," Kyoya said in his natural deadpan way. Renge, however, seemed completely unfazed by the tone and went back to Satomi.

"I know you'll be here again soon, Satomi!" she chirped before the platform lowered slowly back down and she was swallowed up by the ground. Satomi, on the other hand, was still in a state of shock before she turned to Mori.

"Uh…what was-"

"If you plan on coming here often," Kyoya said, walking over to them, "you'll need to get used to that. Especially her meddling. She attempts to be endearing, but it may make her seem annoying. But either way, she will meddle."


	7. Chapter 7

"_Please _tell me more about the new girls!"

"Renge, don't you have somewhere you need to be?"

"Of course not! Please?"

Kyoya ran a hand through his hair and bit back a round of insults. It was getting late, and all he wanted to do was finish calculating the Club's profits, go home and sleep all weekend. If only the girl would get off his arm.

"It's not exactly your business, and I'm sure the family wouldn't appreciate you delving into their history," he said, closing his laptop and tucking it under his arm as he stood. Renge pouted as he walked out of the music room, but hurried after him nonetheless.

"But what about you? Do they know you're 'delving into their history,' Kyoya?"

"No, but it's a complicated situation," Kyoya replied, sighing. "It's something that will have more use to me if it isn't spread around the school."

"I can keep secrets!" Renge argued. The two had made it out to the courtyard now, and despite the few students wandering around, it was quiet enough for Kyoya to give in. He turned back to his stalker, leveling her with a serious look.

"Are you _sure _you can?" he asked lowly. Renge nodded quickly, eyes sparkling. "Fine. You see, the reason the family has come to this part of Japan is because the Hitachiin family has a pact of sorts with them. Basically…" Kyoya paused, glancing around warily, before whispering the remainder of the sentence in Renge's ear.

"No way!" Renge squealed, the noise causing Kyoya to reel back. "That's amazing! It's like a movie!"

"I suppose so." Kyoya planted a hand on Renge's shoulder. "But, as I said, don't tell anyone. After all, I could use this to my advantage later on," he said with a slight snicker.

"Aha! Kyoya, you're so cool! I'll keep it quiet," Renge chirped, taking off across the courtyard. Kyoya watched her go before securing his laptop again and starting towards his waiting car and driver.

_I have a feeling that the shock value will make her give up, _he thought gloomily.

At the Asara household, things were getting livelier.

"Friday night!" Miyomi cheered, bursting into Satomi's bedroom in her pajamas, toting three bottles of sparkling green tea. "Let's have a party!" Behind her, Akiko was also pajama-clad and toting a platter of food. Satomi grinned and settled on the floor as the two took seats on the rug nearby.

"Sure thing. A sleepover between people in their own home," she teased. Her cat, who she had finally decided on naming Yuki, watched the group from under Satomi's bed as they broke into the late-night meal.

"So tell me, you two," Akiko said through a sip of her drink, "how's Ouran been treating you?"

"It's pretty crazy," Miyomi replied. "Everyone's so…pampered there. They have such high expectations, that's for sure. Plus, the high school has this insane host club!"

"So you've told me" Akiko said, turning to Satomi. "You're in the high school. What's it all about? Just like a real-life host club?"

"Pretty much. Rich, attractive guys, tons of girls, different themes…completely normal, I guess," Satomi explained, deciding against adding that there was a cross-dresser in the mix.

"Any big names?" Akiko knew about the reputation of the school, and it wouldn't be surprising to hear something familiar.

"Sure. There's Suo, Ootori, Hitachiin-"

"Hitachiin?" Akiko had also heard the name in passing from her employers, though she hadn't been with them when the meeting took place and she hadn't gotten all the details. "Don't we know them?" Satomi shrugged.

"I'm not really sure. I know we met their sons once, when we were little, but it's not like we're friends or anything. I've never even met Hikaru, and I've only spoken to Kaoru once, so it's no big deal," she said casually.

"Wait, I never heard about this. When did you talk to Kaoru?" Miyomi piped up. Satomi shrugged again, reaching out to scoop Yuki onto her lap as the cat made its way into the open.

"Well, he was kind of involved when I found Yuki, and he helped me keep her under control, so I owe him for that, but that's all." Satomi sat back on her hands, allowing Yuki to clamber off and make her way towards the plates on the floor. "It's one hell of a school, though. I'll give it that much."


	8. Chapter 8

Ever since settling into the routine at Ouran, Satomi had realized how useful study hall could be. None of the teachers seemed to care where the students were during that time, and plenty of people simply left the room. Eventually, Satomi followed suit and ended up wandering through the endless hallways. That one afternoon of brainless walking led her to one of the fountain-adorned courtyards. She glanced around at the various faces, searching for a familiar person she could spend time with, and came across none other than the tall, silent host that she had become…well, she wouldn't say _attracted to_, not yet, but she could say…

_Fond of, _she decided firmly, stepping out before her rational side could kick in.

"Hi, Mori," she said hopefully, smiling down at the seated third-year.

"Hello," he replied, looking from her to the bench he was seated on. "That seat's empty, if you want to sit."

"Thanks." As Satomi practically crash-landed beside him, Mori watched with a hint of bemusement.

"So," Satomi said, "I thought you'd be with the other hosts."

"Not right now, no."

"I figured." Satomi tapped her fingers against her knees, the color rising in her cheeks. Perfect timing- at this point, she had become awkward and shy with every one of their meetings. It was her one sign of what she guessed was a crush, though she refused to call whatever these few meetings had stirred in her a crush.

"What?"

Satomi suddenly became aware that she had been staring at Mori this entire time, and her face colored deeper as she wrenched her eyes away.

"Sorry! I was just…thinking…" she trailed off, still red in the face. Mori raised an eyebrow this time, watching the girl teeter on the verge of slight insanity.

_Am I going to have to help her out? _he wondered.

"So," he said aloud, deciding that was a 'yes.' "Why did you come here so suddenly?" Satomi looked up again, surprised, before smiling again.

"Well, I can't say I understand it, but they said it'll figure itself out in time. Basically, we were supposed to move here earlier, but they changed their minds and let me finish junior high before we moved. They couldn't say the same for Miyomi, but they had to leave sometime, apparently."

"Ah."

After that simple question, Mori reverted back to his almost silent self. It was enough for Satomi, though. Her heart rate had slowed back down, and the fear had lessened enough for her to strike up the conversation, for some reason.

"You know, that host club of yours is pretty…interesting," she said. "I wouldn't have expected a high school to have one, even a place like Ouran."

"It's not set up by the school. In fact, we don't really let the school have a say in what happens to it. That's Kyoya's job," Mori replied.

"Well, I guess if the school got involved, it wouldn't be as…" Satomi paused to think of an appropriate word. _Insane? Interactive? _"…detailed," she finished.

"Probably not."

The pair was interrupted by the shrill ring of the bell, revealing that study hall had ended. Around them, students were standing, saying goodbye to their friends and picking up their things for the next class. Before Satomi could follow suit, however, Mori spoke up again.

"Satomi.""Hm?" Satomi turned back to the taller boy, curiosity in her eyes.

"Want to have another chat sometime?"

"Huh?" Satomi squeaked, blushing again. "I wasn't boring?"

"No."

"Oh…well…um, sure! Wh-whenever you want to talk, just let me know!"

"Okay. Thank you," Mori said calmly- the complete opposite of the girl. Satomi nodded quickly and practically ran out of the courtyard.

_Author's Note: I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I know this chapter was both short and uneventful, but it gets better. Uh…yeah. Sorry about that. See you next time, and thanks again for reading this far!_


	9. Chapter 9

Miyomi was working on her load of homework when Satomi walked in.

"Hi," Miyomi said, watching as her older sister dropped her bag on the ground and fell back on the bed beside her. "What took you so long?"

"I said I was going out."

"Yeah, but it's late, and we _do _have school tomorrow. Remember?" Seeing the grin on Satomi's face, Miyomi rolled her eyes and smiled herself. "Were you with Mori again?"

Before, Satomi would have blushed and stalled with the answers. But it had been two weeks since that first conversation, and she had spent time with the third-year outside of school three times now. Instead, she nodded, and Miyomi leaned forward.

"Why haven't you made it official yet?" she asked. "It's not like there's anything stopping you from asking him to be your boyfriend." The previously-missing blush returned to Satomi's face at last, causing the younger girl to laugh.

"We haven't been hanging out _that _much!" she retorted.

"Yes, you have. What's to be afraid of?" Satomi paused, exhaling loudly through her mouth before attempting an explanation.

"Miyomi, he's a third-year. Even if we did start something, he's leaving at the end of the year, so it'll have to be messed up in time. And besides, he's a host. I'm sure no one would appreciate somebody dating one of them, don't you think?"

"Whatever. I don't think it's really up to them. If they don't like it, too bad, huh?" Miyomi asked hopefully. Satomi sighed, and then pointed at Miyomi's papers.

"Don't you have work to do?" she asked, before standing and walking off to take a shower. Miyomi smirked, scooping up her things and heading downstairs to the office and its computer.

"Hm…so, I need…" she murmured to herself, clicking on the Internet icon. However, she found herself face to face with the minimized window that had been waiting for someone else. "Oops," she mumbled, involuntarily moving the mouse to close out of it but freezing halfway through. This was her father's email account, and at the top of the screen, a subject-less conversation between him and Miyomi's mother was highlighted. Miyomi frowned- usually, the two didn't have conversations that involved emails- and if they did, there'd definitely be a subject involved, explaining the main point.

_But if it doesn't, should I even be looking? _Miyomi thought. Either way, she felt her hand moving back to the highlighted email and clicking.

"_Akiko_!"

Akiko, who had been washing dishes at the time, screamed when Miyomi flung the door open and shouted her name. Turning abruptly, she found Miyomi with wide eyes and her schoolbooks clamped to her chest.

"Miyomi? What's going on?" she asked, trying to calm down the panicking girl.

"I-I found- um…" Akiko blinked, obviously confused with Miyomi's stuttering.

"You found…?"

"Mom and Dad want to marry off Satomi!"

"_What_? Wait, start from the beginning! What is this?" Miyomi paused, gasping for breath, before sitting down at the table and hugging herself.

"Well, I went down to the office to do homework, and…well, I admit I was snooping around, but I found an email between Mom and Dad, and there's this list of people they're going to introduce to Satomi…and then they're going to pick one and…and make her marry him."

"Oh," Akiko murmured, blushing at the thought of one of the girls she had known since their childhood being a wife so soon. "Well…who's on the list-"

"Kaoru Hitachiin's one of them."

Akiko's eyes practically bugged out of her head.

"Why haven't we been told about this before?""I don't know, but Satomi should-""_No_!" Akiko yelped suddenly, causing Miyomi to raise an eyebrow.

"…Why not?"

"Miyomi…you weren't supposed to see it, if you learnt it from an email. If Satomi knows, she'll talk to your parents about it, and one of you is done for. Just…for now, keep it quiet, okay?"

"This is ridiculous, Akiko. It's her wedding. Plus…" Miyomi trailed off, deciding that mentioning Mori would be a bad idea at the moment.

"Just for the time being, Miyomi. She's bound to learn eventually, so let her."


	10. Chapter 10

"Morning, Haruhi!" Satomi said cheerfully, taking her seat in class beside the cross-dressing girl. Haruhi looked up from her book to see her new acquaintance watching her.

"Hello. You're in a good mood today," she said calmly, wondering what was causing it.

"Yes, I know. I'm not sure why, though," Satomi said with a grin. A few rows behind them, Hikaru and Kaoru were watching with identical smirks.

"I wonder how Tamaki would react to this," Hikaru remarked.

"He'd be happy, I guess," Kaoru replied. "He always goes on about how Haruhi needs a girl to bring out her feminine side, right?"

"Yeah, but last time he said that, it was when that otaku showed up, and remember how that turned out?"

The two were quiet for a moment, grinning at the memory of Tamaki's expression as Renge dragged Haruhi away from him.

"But then again, he doesn't seem to have a problem with Satomi," Kaoru added, "and Satomi doesn't seem to be the Renge-type, huh?"

"Kaoru, I don't think _anyone _is exactly the Renge-type."

The door to the classroom slid open, drawing the class' attention away from whatever they were doing at the time. In what seemed to be one smooth motion, Mori stepped into the class and crossed the room so that he was standing in front of Satomi's desk. Satomi and Haruhi looked up in unison as Mori held out a textbook.

"You dropped this, Satomi," he said, placing it on her desk. Satomi looked startled for a moment, but then smiled again.

"Thanks! I was looking for that," she said. Mori nodded, but before leaving, leaned down and kissed Satomi lightly on the forehead. A small cluster of girls looked up from their conversation at this unexpected gesture.

"See you," Mori said quietly, turning and walking out. The moment the door closed behind him, the swarm of girls crowded around Satomi and bombarded her with questions.

"Satomi, what was that?"

"You and Mori?"

"When did it happen?"

"Lucky you!"

"But how?"

"W-wait a second!" Satomi called out, silencing them. She blushed slightly, having gotten all their attention at once. "Um…well, yes…Mori and I have been spending time together for a while, but I never called it dating…"

"That was the first time he kissed you?" one of the girls asked incredulously. Satomi nodded, and the flurry of comments returned.

"That's so cute!"

"And we all got to see it!"

"A host, _and _a third-year…good job, kid."

"Yeah…" Satomi mumbled, looking tempted to sink into her desk and hide there. Behind her, the twins had their heads together and were quietly discussing the new information.

"Didn't see that coming," Hikaru muttered. Kaoru looked particularly wide-eyed about what he had just witnessed.

"I never would have thought…" he agreed.

_But…_he thought, _if I had been the one to go after her that day, would she be with me instead?_

_What the-? _Kaoru knocked a hand against his head in a frantic attempt to clear the thought, wondering what had brought that on. _Okay, no way in hell can I start liking her just when she gets taken. That's stupid-_

"Kaoru!" Hikaru snapped, bringing his twin back into reality. "What is it this time?" Kaoru blinked again, glancing at the overwhelmed Satomi and her paparazzi before turning to Hikaru.

"Never mind."


	11. Chapter 11

_It would be so much easier_, Kaoru thought, _if they weren't so damn open about it._

What was it, anyway? Why did he feel awkward about the fact that Mori was dating this new girl? He felt it necessary to avert his eyes whenever the two kissed, or even when they came into contact with each other. None of the customers had noticed his opinion about Ouran's newest couple- in fact, they just considered it adorable, and Kyoya was using this to his financial advantage- and apparently, the hosts didn't seem to care either.

_So…what's wrong with me, then_? Kaoru thought bitterly. Even now, as he knew Satomi was directly behind him and having a conversation with Mori and Honey, he could feel it affecting him and his performance.

Hikaru had enough observation skill to notice the performance as well, and proceeded to bop his brother on the head affectionately.

"Lost in thought, Kaoru?" he asked smoothly, snapping Kaoru from his mind back into the show they were supposed to be putting on. Hikaru took the twin's face in his hands and moved closer. "Thinking about what I said I was planning for tonight?" As the girls squealed and Kaoru made himself look shy and embarrassed about his brother's affection, Hikaru leaned forward again so that he was next to Kaoru's ear.

"Seriously. When this is over, tell me what's wrong." Kaoru blushed genuinely now, causing a misunderstanding in the crowd. The decibels of the fangirls' screaming became even louder, causing a few of the others to turn around with bemusement.

"Fine," Kaoru mumbled.

"Will you stop laughing?"

As it turned out, Hikaru wasn't as great as listening to his brother's problems as he wanted to be. He was now sprawled across his bed, face buried in a pillow, trying to silence his laughter.

"Sorry! But...it's so _ironic_!" he gasped. "Of course you'd get a crush on somebody you can't have! It's how you are, huh, Kaoru?"

"I don't have a crush on her! It's just that it's _weird_!" Kaoru argued, blushing. Hikaru sat up again, smirking, as Kaoru went on. "Why would Mori even be interested in a first-year, period? Don't you think- if he wanted to date at all, I mean- he'd go for somebody closer to his age group? Someone who's leaving the school next year, like him?"

"So, you think he's out of Satomi's league, is that it? Poor Satomi." To Hikaru's silent delight, Kaoru became even more dramatic.

"That's not it either! It's just..." Kaoru trailed off, breathing heavily. Hikaru softened slightly, and pulled Kaoru down by the hand so that he was seated beside him.

"You know, you'll get your chance," he said. "You said it yourself. Mori's leaving the school next year, and Satomi has two years to go. No way something like that can last, right? So...just let it go its way, got it? You'll have your turn when it's time." Kaoru smiled weakly.

"I'm surprised, Hikaru...I thought you'd have some evil plan. It's how you normally 'handle' things," he remarked. Hikaru rolled his eyes and stood again.

"Evil plans are more fun," he said, clambering into his bed and pulling the blankets over his shoulders. Kaoru followed suit, grinning at his devious brother.

"Of course."

Outside their bedroom, the Hitachiins' twin maids were crouching by the door, listening in with their default blank expressions.

"They haven't figured it out yet," the first one said. "You'd think they would have come across the information by now."

"I agree. It's not like it hasn't been made obvious by now...but apparently, his fiancee hasn't figured it out either."

"She _is _dating another boy. Should we tell the mistress?"

The second maid straightened up and shook her head.

"No, no. Don't worry."

"Why not, though?"

"It's not _our _business, is it? We're not Hitachiins."


	12. Chapter 12

Hikaru's advice was working. He had ensured that it would. He observed the way Kaoru acted when he talked to Satomi, making sure that Mori wasn't a topic of discussion and that Kaoru didn't act like an idiot. Sometimes, when he could, he kept Kaoru with him, as if he was a pet that couldn't leave its master's side. He had also enlisted Haruhi to help him with his mission, though Haruhi had no idea that she was involved. To her, Hikaru and Kaoru's exaggerated affections were nothing new to her- she had accepted that it was part of the 'fanservice' outside of the host club, though it didn't stop her from being exasperated at it.

For example, that very day. The twins had been trying to show Haruhi something they found hilarious, and she had managed to completely block them out for about ten minutes.

"Guys," she grumbled at last, "will you give it a rest?"

"How come? I promise, you'll laugh!" Kaoru teased, waving the paper in front of her again.

"What you find funny is...um...very, _very _different from what I do." Haruhi shuddered slightly, and the twins grinned in unison.

"You have to give us credit for our photo editing skills," they said. Haruhi shook her head, looking back down at her notebook.

"Whatever. Point is, I've got to get this work done, and you're distracting me."

"Aww!" The twins leaned down and wrapped their arms around Haruhi, scooping her up into an unwanted hug. "Listen to our little geek! That's adorable!"

"Let me go!"

Satomi watched Haruhi struggle in the boys' grasp with a slight smile. Despite how immature the behavior might have seemed, she couldn't help but respect it. To her, it was just a weird way of the two expressing that they cared about the girl, despite the way it was displayed. She had seen love displayed in so many ways- romantic gestures, teasing, protection- and this lighthearted affection was just another type on the list.

_Yep_, she thought, looking back down at her work, _it's love. That's cute._

"Satomi, you can't just make assumptions," Miyomi said when Satomi explained her observations. "Maybe they just think of her as a sister figure."

"But that's a type of love too, right?" Satomi said. Miyomi made a face.

"Not the _same _kind of love, Satomi! I mean, I love you, but I'd never want to kiss you! Maybe it's the same with them," she explained. Satomi shrugged.

"Well, maybe. But either way, I think it's love, for them. I'd like to help them, if I could," she said wistfully.

"Satomi, you've gotten soft. You can't let having a boyfriend make you soft," she said. Satomi rolled her eyes and walked ahead of her sister into the house.

"I'm not soft. You're just too tough," she called out before heading up the stairs, greeting Akiko as she passed. Akiko gave her a skeptical look before walking down to join Miyomi.

"_You_? Too tough?"

"Oh, leave me alone," Miyomi mumbled, taking a seat on the stairs. Now that Satomi had gone, she could revert to letting the guilt eat away at her. Akiko took a seat beside her, watching the youngest member of the family cup her chin in her hands. "I feel worse and worse every day, Akiko," she whispered. "At this rate, she's going to be destroyed. And it's all because I didn't stop her...I can't tell her...why am I such a coward?"

"...Miyomi..." Akiko began, her face reddening slightly. "Are...are you saying that Satomi's going to be destroyed because...she and Mori are going to-"

"Ack!" Miyomi shouted, cutting her maid off before she could finish. Now that the mental image was imprinted in her mind, she was wide-eyed and shaking. "N-no way! They just got together! They can't!"

"Okay, okay!" Akiko said quickly. "Forget I brought it up, okay?" Now that the shouting was done with, a creepy silence hung in the lobby. "But...are you going to interfere, Miyomi?"

_Is it worth that much to me? _Miyomi wondered. _Would I kill her short-term happiness just to prepare her for the long run? _


	13. Chapter 13

Kyoya hated to admit it, but he was beginning to get nervous.

Across the room, Renge had been talking to Mori and Satomi for about fifteen minutes, and it was bothering him. Recently, Renge had started to complain about keeping his information secret, stating that it was a 'perfect premise for a movie' and asking why he had to keep it quiet anyway. What she didn't understand was that it was vital information he had, and he could lose it all in one accidental word from this overenthusiastic girl. And, considering that it seemed to him like Renge was talking about romance, he knew it was only a matter of time.

Meanwhile, Satomi was feeding Renge's need to talk constantly. The conversation had turned to the couple themselves, and despite how awkward this was to Mori, he allowed the girls to talk about it as they pleased.

"It's nice, though," Renge admitted, looking between the two. "You don't see such cute couples who actually have a good premise for their relationship these days, huh? And the fact that it's bringing in more profit for the club doesn't bother me either!"

"Are you really the manager?" Satomi asked curiously. Renge nodded again, beaming.

"I came here all the way from France, looking for Kyoya, and everything fell into place once I found the club," she explained. Mori smiled to himself, not blaming her for leaving the most important parts of the story out.

_She acts weird enough to Satomi without that thrown in_, he thought.

"But this is the first time I've seen a host date a customer," Renge said. "I always thought it was frowned upon by the club, but...was I wrong?"

"I guess so," Mori said. "It's not going to stop anything, though." A blushing Satomi nodded energetically in agreement.

"How _dramatic_!"

The words had practically burst out of Renge at that point, as if she had been holding them in for the entire conversation. They were also loud and high enough to get the entire room's attention.

_Oh, I give up_, Kyoya thought, sinking lower into his chair.

"What?" Satomi asked. "Where did _that _come from?" Renge, only slightly apologetic towards Kyoya, looked smugly down at Satomi.

"It's just that you don't know! It's so dramatic that I almost can't take it!"

"Don't know...?" If anything, Satomi just looked more confused now. Even Mori was frowning now, and he could usually make some kind of sense out of Renge's words. Renge sighed loudly, as if she was exasperated with this.

"That you're dating Mori, and that your parents are planning on making you marry Kaoru Hitachiin!"

After the bomb was dropped, the silence in the music room was almost disturbingly silent. A good majority of the room looked astonished. Kyoya was now resting his head against the table, desolate at the loss of his blackmail material. After a moment, Tamaki was the first to speak.

"Renge...are you telling the truth?" he asked, stepping forward. Renge nodded, and then pointed over at Kyoya.

"Of course! Kyoya told me himself! He even showed me the files that talk about it!"

"And...none of you knew about it?" Tamaki directed this question at the twins and Satomi, who hadn't looked at each other once.

"We didn't..." Hikaru said quietly, speaking for himself and his stricken twin.

"It doesn't matter anyway."

Everyone turned to Satomi now, including a shocked Renge.

"Doesn't matter? What do you-"

Before Renge could finish, however, Satomi stood, glaring at the floor.

"It doesn't matter," she repeated, "because it would never work." She finally looked at Kaoru, her eyes narrowed. "Because Kaoru loves Haruhi. In fact, both of them love her. And because of that...unless he stops loving her, a marriage wouldn't work. Even if it _was _arranged."

Kaoru opened his mouth, trying to reply, but found himself remaining silent as Satomi walked out and the heavy doors slammed behind her.


	14. Chapter 14

When Miyomi arrived at the car, she was greeted by a panicking Akiko. The maid had even run to meet her as she headed over. Before Miyomi could process this, Akiko had grabbed her by the wrist and was dragging her to the car.

"Akiko? What's wrong?" she squeaked, almost losing her balance. Instead of replying, Akiko opened the back door and motioned for her to get in. Once they were both inside, Akiko spoke.

"Satomi knows about the arranged marriage."

"She _found out_?" Miyomi gasped. _How? When? Who else knew?_

"She came home halfway through the day. Just showed up at the door, crying, told me what happened, then vanished. Apparently somebody in the host club knew," Akiko explained. Miyomi was silent now, hugging her bag to her chest.

"So...she's not happy about this," she said dully.

"I thought that was pretty obvious, Miyomi."

"What are we gonna do?"

"What _can _we do? It's not like we can tell her parents to stop an arranged marriage. That would mean wasting everyone's time." Akiko sighed, finally starting the car and pulling away from the school. "It's horrible, though. Just horrible."

Miyomi pushed the door to Satomi's room open without a second thought, and found her older sister on her bed, looking up at the ceiling. Yuki was curled up beside her, only semi-curious about what was going on.

"Satomi?"

Satomi sat up, looking at her sister with red eyes.

"Did you hear about it?"

"Yeah...you found out." Miyomi regretted the words instantly, as Satomi's eyes flashed.

"What do you mean, _I _found out?" She stood now, stepping directly in front of Miyomi in a way that she knew intimidated the younger girl. "Miyomi, did you know about this?" Miyomi flushed under her steely glare, giving away her answer. "What the hell? Why didn't you tell me?" Satomi went on, her voice becoming louder with each word. Yuki darted under her bed, as if she expected a fistfight to break out between her owners.

"I..."

"You could've told me before Mori and I got serious! What am I meant to do about that?" Now Miyomi looked up, her guilt fading into anger.

"Well, maybe if you hadn't started dating the moment you walked into the school, this wouldn't _have _to be this way!" she snapped.

"What?" Satomi stepped forward again, but Miyomi held her ground.

"You rushed into it. You should've waited a little while to date anyone, arranged marriage or not, and you know it," she replied, forcing calm into her voice.

"That isn't fair!" Satomi argued, her voice shaking. "I never rushed it..." Giving up, she fell back onto her bed, tears forming in her eyes. "I should've known," she whispered. "I should've figured it out too." Miyomi softened, taking a seat beside her.

"Neither of us was meant to know," she said. "I found out by accident. How is that your fault?"

"It doesn't make a difference, you know," Satomi went on. "No matter how we found out, it'll end up happening." Her voice trembled violently at the end of the sentence, and she buried her face into a pillow again. Miyomi was silent, stroking Yuki with her foot and listening to her sister's sobs. However, the slight creak of the door broke her silence.

"What it is, Akiko?" she asked. The door slid open, revealing a guilty-looking Akiko.

"Um...this is probably a bad time to announce this, but...your parents know that you know." Behind the pillow, Satomi's eyes widened.

"Did you tell them?" Miyomi asked quietly. Akiko looked at her feet.

"I'm sorry. They were bound to realize it sooner or later. But, that's not why they sent me here. The Hitachiin kid isn't the only one on your list, Satomi. They have a whole line of 'suitors' or whatever they're called line up to meet you. Basically, the first one's visiting next Thursday. They want you to know that you should be prepared to have a conversation with him." Akiko finished her speech with a pained look, as if she hated being the one to announce this. Now, the silence had returned, the only sounds a soft mew from Yuki.

"...Dammit," Satomi mumbled.


	15. Chapter 15

_Author's Note: Wow, chapter 15 already? Planned Romance ends after chapter 20! My stories grow up so fast...all right, cheesiness aside, do you guys think I should make my chapters longer? I mean, I consider 700-800 words a pretty decent chapter length, but I see stories with 1,000-word chapters, so I'm not sure...anyways, here's chapter 15!_

"Kaoru?"

No response, once again. Kaoru had been literally silent since the fiasco at the club that afternoon, and Hikaru was starting to get worried. Between Renge's news and Satomi's announcement, his twin had seemed to be seriously shaken- hell, he even _looked _pale. He was seated on a chair opposite from their bed, looking down at his homework with a vacant stare.

"Seriously, Kaoru. Are you gonna be okay?" he said, still trying. Kaoru flipped a page, seemingly ignoring his brother. His eyes flicked up momentarily, however, revealing that he was biting back a reply. Hikaru ground his teeth, his patience finally wearing thin. He would force a reply from his brother if it took all night. Fists clenched, he prepared to fire a stream of insults.

"I wonder what gave her the idea, though," Kaoru said at last. The shock of hearing his voice nearly knocked Hikaru off his chair, and he steadied himself quickly as his brother went on. "I mean, I know we act close to Haruhi, but plenty of people in our school do that with _their _friends. Does she think they all love each other, too?"

"Couldn't tell you," Hikaru replied, frowning. "She really showed up with it out of nowhere, didn't she?"

"Yeah..." Kaoru closed his eyes, resting his head against the back of the chair. "Trust the new kid to make things dramatic. They always do, don't they?"

"What do you think Mori's gonna do?" Hikaru asked, wary of whether or not it was okay to ask the question. Kaoru's shoulders tensed, and he finally made eye contact with Hikaru.

"...I have no idea. What do _you _think?" he asked, starting to talk faster. "He can't stay with her, can he? But he can't break up with her! They're so close! Satomi would be heartbroken!"

"Kaoru!" Hikaru interrupted the panicky rant. "Calm down. They'll figure something out, don't you think?" He sighed, running a hand through his hair. A new idea had sparked up in his mind as he spoke. "We all need to figure something out. And we can't do this by ourselves."

With that mentality, Hikaru found himself seated on a bench beside none other than Haruhi, quietly spilling out his side of the story from the very first meeting. Throughout his story, Haruhi remained silent and attentive, forcing herself not to interrupt until he was finished. At last, Hikaru went silent, allowing Haruhi to speak.

"I'll be honest with you- in the case of the wedding, there's not much you can do. The way I see it, your parents decided this for themselves, and you can't change that. What you _can _do..." she paused to look up at Hikaru with half a smile, "is make the most of it. If there's one thing I've learned, is that you can't change much, but you adapt instead. Satomi and Kaoru are both good people, I can tell, so who can say that it won't be alright for them in the end?"

Hikaru pondered this for a moment, though the answer was already clear. She was right- they couldn't expect their parents to change their minds, so what was left but to figure out how to understand it?

"Thank you," Hikaru said at last. Before Haruhi could reply, she found herself pulled forward into a tight hug, and her eyes widened.

"Wah! Hikaru, it wasn't a problem!" she squeaked, struggling for a moment. However, it only took a moment for her to melt into the hug and even return it weakly. At last, when Hikaru let her go, she found that she was slightly red in the face but smiling. "Um...you're welcome." Hikaru grinned back, before standing up.

"Guess we should get back, then," he said. "I'll let you know what Kaoru thinks later, okay?" As they started back towards the school, he glanced around uncertainly, making sure that no one would be around to watch if he took Haruhi's hand in his for a little while.

_Author's Note: I have a feeling that I just pissed off a few TamaHaru fans, didn't I? Sorry, but it was in my power. Mwahahaha. Uh...see you next chapter!_


	16. Chapter 16

The sound of haystacks being swiftly sliced apart could be heard across the yard as Mori practiced his kendo alone. Normally, the remainders of the haystacks strewn across the ground would be satisfying to him, but today he was finding it hard to concentrate.

_Of course you do, _he thought irritably. _Why shouldn't you, with what you know_?

Giving up on the sword altogether and placing it against the wall, Mori wandered off across the yard, allowing his thoughts to take over. Satomi had been avoiding him for these past few days, or was it the other way around? Either way, he knew it was wrong, and they'd have to figure something out, pronto. While he looked across the yard, Satomi herself was peering in through the gate, barely able to breathe. She had arrived at his house with the same thought process- that they needed to work out where they were going with this new piece of information in the way. After a moment, she braced herself, pushed the gate open and walked forward until she was at his side.

"Hi," she said softly as Mori turned to face her. He looked surprised for a moment, but he soon matched her almost melancholy attitude.

"Satomi."

"Do you have any idea about what we're going to do with this?" She had decided to get right to the point, instead of building up awkward tension until something worse happened between them. "What happens next, with their planning?"

Satomi already knew what the two options were. They were pretty obvious, after all. Despite that, she was silently begging for the one she wanted.

_Please don't say it, Mori. Don't say that we have to break up. Please..._

She looked up, realizing that Mori was still silent. Her heart immediately starting racing when she noticed the look on his face before he answered.

"Satomi, you know what has to happen."

_No..._

"Mori, it won't be for a while!" she practically yelped. "They can't make me marry anyone yet, not when I'm in high school...they just _can't. _We should have enough time to-"

"That isn't fair to them. Planning a marriage takes a lot of effort, as far as I can tell. All that, just to have you refuse...Satomi, we have to end this now." As Mori finished, Satomi suddenly became aware of the fact that she was trembling violently.

_When did I get so desperate? _she thought, forcing herself to look the older boy in the eyes.

"Why?" she squeaked. "Isn't there a way that we can change this, Mori?"

"It's not our decision," Mori said quietly. "I don't want this any more than you do, but we can't change it." Satomi bit her lip, letting the tears spill over, and went silent. Mori cautiously reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry." At that point, there was nothing else he could say that would help at all. Satomi nodded, rubbing her eyes, and forced herself to smile tearfully.  
"Like you said, it can't be helped," she said, stepping back. "Bye." Mori watched as Satomi walked through the gate, letting it swing close behind her before she disappeared.

Once outside, the smile she had vanished completely, and she stumbled down the sidewalk with the tears falling. She was becoming convinced that she had cried more in this past week than she had in her entire life, and it seemed so shallow to her. As she made it back to her home, the tears finally lessening, she was met by Akiko.

"Satomi! There you are! Miyomi was panicking because she couldn't find you, and no one knew where you had-" The maid froze, noticing Satomi's red eyes. "Satomi...?"

"I-I'm sorry," Satomi whispered. "I'll g-go tell her now." As she vanished into the doorway, Akiko watched fearfully.

_What happened to her?_

However, instead of searching for her sister, Satomi found herself by the giant bathtub, filling it with hot water. Anything to make her relax in the slightest, and she could hide here, too. As the water started to become deep, Satomi stripped and stepped in, dunking her head underwater for a moment to make her face feel normal again. For a while, she lay there, looking up at the ceiling while the water swirled around her. She was trying, but she couldn't force herself to clear her mind.

_Who knew that a random host club could cause me so much trouble? _


	17. Chapter 17

The door to the music room was pushed open uncertainly, and Tamaki turned from a vase of flowers, surprised. Miyomi stood in the doorway, looking in nervously. For a moment, Tamaki wondered if Mori would mind his ex-girlfriend's little sister coming in.

_The customer comes first, _he decided, swooping over to the middle-schooler.

"Good afternoon! How can I help you?" he asked cheerfully. Blushing, Miyomi looked up at him.

"I was just looking for Satomi. She's been avoiding going home lately, and I need to ask her about something, but..."

"She hasn't been here in almost a month, Miyomi," Tamaki said cautiously. Miyomi had been feeling the aftershock of Satomi's own problems, and he wasn't sure what would set her off at this point. However, Miyomi only expressed her distaste with a groan.

"Of course she hasn't. It's taken a toll on her, I guess." She glanced around the room, noticing the wary eyes on her, and motioned for Tamaki to come closer. "I think she assumed that Mori would help her through this. That wasn't fair of her, and she knows that, but she's still pretty upset about the whole thing, and it bothers me. Plus..." Noticing the uncomfortable expression on Miyomi's face, Tamaki's interest was sparked.

"Plus?" he asked, prodding her to go on. Miyomi looked up again.

"Plus, my parents are already making plans. There are more possibilities than just Kaoru, and Satomi's schedules to meet the first next week."

"Already? That's-" Tamaki began loudly.

"Shh! I know, but quiet down!" Miyomi hissed. Tamaki forced the shouts back and regained his composure.

"Does Satomi know?"

"That's why I was looking for her. They're telling her officially today, but I feel like she's caught wind of the plan, and that's why she keeps coming home late, you know?" Before Tamaki could reply, Miyomi glanced out the window into the courtyard. "She's out there. I see her. I guess I should go get her...she's going to need my help figuring this out. I know that much."

As Miyomi left the room, Tamaki glanced back at the rest of the room, trying to catch somebody's eye.

_I wish them the best..._ he thought, _but they're going to need a lot of help in getting it._

When Satomi got the news, Miyomi could hardly believe the reaction. Silence.

No arguments, screaming, tears or slamming things. She just sat at her end of the table, stroking Yuki, and nodded.

"I don't see what's wrong with that," she said calmly. "The meeting is next week, you said?"

"Yes, and I'm sure you'll have a good time talking to him. He's an honorable man, and very interesting. He'll be able to hold a conversation, you know," Mrs. Asara said, delighted at her daughter's sudden display of obedience.

"Will I be able to know a bit about him before I meet him?" Satomi asked.

"Of course, of course. Akiko, the information is in the second-story office, in a blue folder. Go educate our daughter, okay?" Akiko nodded and rose to her feet, leading Satomi out of the dining room. The moment the door closed behind them, Miyomi piped up.

"I've been meaning to talk to you about this," she said quickly. "Um...I heard a rumor that you were planning to have Kaoru Hitachiin be one of the choices..." When her parents didn't question her knowledge nor deny it, Miyomi was only momentarily swayed, but went on. "I don't think it would be best. I know I may not have a say, but Satomi and Kaoru haven't had the greatest of encounters, as far as I've seen."

"You've been observing?" Mr. Asara asked, standing. When Miyomi nodded, he walked over and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Good for you. I'll certainly consider taking the Hitachiins out of our deal, but it'll take time, Miyomi." Miyomi nodded, but her heart sank.

_Will it be too late if I give it time? I'm helping, aren't I? _


	18. Chapter 18

"Satomi?" Akiko whispered through the half-open door to the bathroom. "Are you ready? He's here."

Satomi let her hair fall from the brush onto her shoulders and face, forcing a smile at the mirror. She had been practicing realistic smiles, trying not to look fake for her audience- the man, named Hishirou Takahashi, and her parents who would be observing them from afar. Satomi smoothed out her dress, practiced one more smile, and opened the bathroom door to accompany her maid down the stairs.

"You look nice, Satomi. Remember, nothing is final yet, so don't panic if he brings up anything that makes you feel uncomfortable. If it gets to be too much, you can tell your parents when you're done. Don't get an attitude, don't give him bad looks, and act like you're respectable. Then-"

"I get it, Akiko!" Satomi snapped. "Please, I can handle this myself. I don't need a lecture." Seeing Akiko's slightly wounded look, she softened. "I know you're just trying to help, though. Thank you."

"Erm...it's no problem. I'm sorry, I'm just trying to repeat what your parents were worrying about. I'm not advocating you marrying an older man who you've never met," Akiko explained. As the two walked into the yard, their parents and the man they were talking to noticed them.

"There you are. Satomi, this is Hishirou Takahashi. Mr. Takahashi, this is our daughter, Satomi." As Mr. Asara said her name, Satomi stepped forward and bowed, as if she had rehearsed it countless times.

"Nice to meet you sir," she said. Mr. Takahashi nodded, observing the girl.

"And nice to meet you, Ms. Asara. Shall we go?" He pointed over at one of the tables that had been set up for the occasion. "I've been looking forward to this meeting." As he and Satomi took their seats at the table, Satomi took a moment to look over the man. He was tall, most likely in his late twenties, and so professional-looking it was almost weird, with his suit and clean hairstyle. However, she didn't let her opinion show, as she smiled at him for a first impression.

_Damn, that felt forced, _she thought bitterly.

"Tell me about yourself, Ms. Asara," Mr. Takahashi said, taking a drink of the iced tea in front of him. Satomi could feel herself replying, talking about hobbies and facts, but she felt detached, as if a robot had taken her voice and was speaking for her. Mr. Takahashi nodded as each sentence ended, until Satomi caught herself and stopped speaking.

"I see you're very cultured, miss. Many interests..." Satomi nodded in response, gulping down her iced tea as he went on. She could hardly concentrate as he talked about himself...his family...his career...

_If it was Kaoru, at least we'd be having a conversation about things I actually care about, _she thought.

Eyes widening, the thought sank in.

_Wait..._

"Um...I'm sorry," she said abruptly. "I need to go to the bathroom. Do you mind waiting a moment? I can tell my maid to get you a second drink, if you'd like." Mr. Takahashi nodded, and Satomi stood.

"That would be nice. Hurry back," he said as she darted away.

Once in the bathroom, Satomi felt her heart race increase. Even if she pulled this off, she would be in serious trouble when she returned. Plus, her parents could be anywhere, and if she ran into them on the way...

But she knew. Her plan was already fresh in her mind. She slid out of her sandals, pushed the window open, and looked out as she climbed onto the windowsill.

Coast clear.

_Thank God I'm on the first floor, _she thought, hopping down into the grass. The familiar hole at the bottom of the fence was a mere ten feet away. All she had to do was run.

She flung herself across the yard, onto her stomach, and through the hole in one swift motion. Once she felt herself reach the outside sidewalk, she sprang up and ran. Never mind the fact that she was barefoot and in a knee-length dress. She knew the address, and she would run until she made it there.

"It's been fifteen minutes!" Mr. Asara said sharply. "What is she _doing_?"

"She said she had to use the bathroom," Akiko offered. "Maybe she got sick or something. I'll go check if you want."

"Sick or not, she needs to at least explain herself," Mr. Asara complained. "This is an important family we're dealing with. We'll lose our reputation at this rate!"

Ignoring the melodramatic speech, Akiko headed inside, where Miyomi was waiting at the edge of the hall.

"What's happening? I saw Satomi going towards the bathroom, but I haven't seen her since..." she said curiously. Akiko hurried past her down the hall.

"I don't know, but her father's furious," she mumbled, knocking rapidly on the bathroom door. "Satomi? You alright?" When there was no response, Miyomi took over.

"Satomi, you need to come back! Mom and Dad are pissed!" Losing patience, she pushed the door open. "Satomi-" The two froze, looking into the bathroom. The shoes on the floor, the open window...and the completely abandoned room.

Satomi reached the gate of Hitachiin Manor, gasping for air. She pressed the intercom button and practically yelled into the speaker.

"P-please, let me in! I'm a friend of Kaoru's, and I need to talk to him! This is urgent!:

"Madam, calm down. I'll let him know you're here," the monotonous voice replied, before the gate swing open. Satomi raced up the stairs toward the door as it opened, revealing a bemused Kaoru.

"Satomi?"

"Kaoru, I'm sorry!" Satomi said. "I'm sorry I told everyone...that, and that I made everything awkward. I'm sorry, okay?" Kaoru stared at the sweaty, barefoot girl for a moment.

"Um..."

"_Satomi_!"

Behind them, Miyomi had jumped out of her car and was running towards them, panic on her face. Satomi sighed, looking back at Kaoru.

"I...I said what I needed to say. Bye," she whispered, retreating to her sister and the car.


	19. Chapter 19

Despite the two-hour lecture she found herself receiving, Satomi's mood had hit a new high in comparison to the last few weeks.

Honestly, she had no idea where she would end up going from the new breakthrough she had created. Kaoru's response to her apology remained to be seen, as did her status with the other suitors. Her parents had already yelled at her for causing Mr. Takahashi to leave without a second thought, but she couldn't be bothered with guilt about it. But she had changed her life's direction, something she had always dreamed of doing, and it was a start. Maybe she hadn't earned her good mood, but it wasn't going anywhere, despite the raging from her parents.

As their ranting ended, Satomi looked up again, pretending that she had been listening the whole time, and spoke.

"I know what you're so angry about, and I'll admit that I was probably wrong for doing something like that. It must've really freaked you guys out. But...I can't apologize for what I did right now. There was something I had to do, somebody I had to apologize to, and it couldn't wait any longer." She paused, partially for dramatic effect but also because she had to collect her thoughts once more. "You know by now that I knew about your deal with the Hitachiin family. And at first, I didn't know what to think. But things have really changed over the past few weeks, and...I wouldn't mind marrying him, you know. I think things would be okay between us, if you give us the time we need."

"That isn't what Miyomi told us," Mrs. Asara said coldly.

"Miyomi misunderstood what happened between us," Satomi replied, unaffected by her mother's tone. She held her parents' identical gazes for a minute before her father spoke.

"Well, the deal isn't broken yet...but what makes you think that you deserve to decide for yourself? We were the ones planning this, weren't we?" Secretly, Mr. Asara was testing his daughter, wondering how she would respond to a harsh accusation such as that.

"I deserve to decide for myself because it's my life," Satomi replied. "I've already accepted that I would be married under your ideas, but I think if I have to live with any man, it should at least be one I can be happy with."

Mr. Asara hid a smile as he glanced over at his wife. He hadn't expected anything less of his daughter.

"I see," he said. "That is indeed a good reason...we'll get in touch with the Hitachiins by next week," he said decisively. Satomi grinned.

"Thank you!" she said cheerfully. "You won't regret it, you know!"

"We'll see about that," Mr. Asara said, though he allowed himself half a smile.

Kaoru waited at the front door of Asara Manor, trying to remember what he was planning on saying as he walked up and knocked. As the door opened, revealing none other than Satomi herself, the words returned, spilling out of him before he could help himself.

"I'm confused, Satomi. What exactly were you trying to tell me?" he asked. Satomi blinked mildly in surprise for a second.

"Uh...exactly what I meant, I guess," she said shyly. "I didn't know why, but I just felt that I needed to say that I was sorry for everything. Just so you knew."

"And you _ran _to my house to tell me so?"

"I was short on time."

Kaoru chuckled, slightly amazed. "Well, that's a new one. It's okay, you know. You could've just apologized like a normal person..." Satomi shrugged, grinning at him.

"So, why are you here, exactly?" she asked, trying to get a point out of the conversation. Kaoru paused, as if he had to think about it, and then blushed a little.

"Erm...well, it's about what Renge told us." Satomi's eyes widened. "I asked my parents, and they said it's true, so I was thinking about it...but I want to know what you were thinking about it."

"What were _you _thinking?" Satomi asked nervously, trying to stall her own answer.

"I...thought it would be okay..."

For a moment, there was silence between the two. Then, out of nowhere, Satomi began to laugh. Kaoru watched, startled, as she clutched the doorway and laughed hysterically.

"Um...what-" he began.

"I-I'm just glad," Satomi choked between gasps of air and giggles. "I was gonna say the same thing!"


	20. Chapter 20

"My, my. This is deja vu if I've ever experienced it," Mr. Hitachiin said, smiling across the table at the other couple.

"Indeed. But I believe your son explained to you what this is about? That's what Satomi told us, anyhow," Mr. Asara replied. Mrs. Hitachiin leaned forward, practically glowing with excitement.

"We're going to go ahead with their wedding?" she asked. "Oh, I'm so excited! We'll have to make it look amazing! If you'd like, I'll work on all the outfits needed for the occasion! And we'll have to decide on a beautiful location, and it'll just be-"

"Now, now," Mr. Hitachiin said, laying a hand on his wife's arm. "As exciting as it may be to you, they _are _still high school students. We need to take that into consideration. Can you imagine how hard it would be for a married couple to focus on their studies?"  
"We thought about that as well, you know," Mrs. Asara chimed in. "However, we can't wait too long. Satomi already had a brief relationship before knowing about the idea, and who knows what could happen in their school?"

"That's why I asked you to invite Kaoru," Mr. Asara added. "If you're alright with them discussing the terms of the wedding on their own, that's what I suppose they're doing now."

"I guess so. Eventually, it all comes down to them, in the end," Mr. Hitachiin agreed. "But...I wonder how it is for them. How comfortable they are with each other, and whether or not they have the mentality to survive as husband and wife."

"I'm sure they'll be fine," Mr. Asara said. "I think of my daughter as quite mature, for one, and I'm sure she can handle your son if he isn't."

"True, true," Mr. Hitachiin said, laughing lightly. "But either way...they may not be children, but they aren't adults, either."

As Mr. Asara had predicted, Satomi and Kaoru were seated up on a porch, Yuki curled in Satomi's lap and both of them looking out at the street.

"I remember that cat of yours," Kaoru teased, leaning over to ruffle the top of Yuki's head. "Living the good life now, I can see."

"Yep. You can hold her, if you want," Satomi said, holding out the cat to Kaoru. As Kaoru stroked Yuki, Satomi watched with a hint of admiration. "Didn't expect you to be an animal person."

"Eh. We really don't know that much about each other," Kaoru admitted. "Which makes me wonder...are you sure you want to do this? It's still our choice, in the end, right?"

"That's right," Satomi said, nodding. "But the fact that we don't know too much makes it even more interesting, in my opinion. With a wedding on the way, we'll be spending more time together, and that'll give us the chance we need. It'll be fun, don't you think?"

"Maybe," Kaoru said, frowning. "But...we're kinda young. Do your parents want to rush this thing?"

"Not at all," Satomi said reassuringly. "They've told me time after time that they're giving us the ability to decide for ourselves when we want to get married. I was thinking that we should wait until our last year of high school to start planning, and then have the wedding a few weeks after school gets out. That way, we can focus on just that, and maybe enjoy it a little."

"You've been thinking about this," Kaoru said, eyes wide.

"Of course. It's not like it escapes my mind," Satomi said, raising an eyebrow. "...It's been a hell of a time here. I didn't expect it when I moved, that's for sure. But all I know that it's just the beginning, and I don't mind."

Kaoru leaned back in his chair, looking over at Satomi as she spoke. As she paused for a breath, she glanced over to see his eyes on her, and smiled again.

"And who knows? Maybe I'll end up falling in love with you, after all."

_Author's Note: And, it's over! Another one of my text-babies, all grown up. How sad. The only things I didn't like about Planned Romance are that the chapters had the tendency to be pretty short, and that I never took Satomi's relationship with Mori anywhere after the breakup. But, it's still over, so I hope you enjoyed it. See you next time, unless you're already reading some of my other in-progress fanfictions. What? No, I'm not advertising a thing! _


End file.
